US Women Takes the 5th Over Bulgaria

ANAHEIM, Calif. (July 14, 2012) – The U.S. Women’s National
Volleyball Team started its three-match Bulgaria Challenge Series with a
hard-fought 22-25, 25-18, 16-25, 25-22, 15-11 victory over the visitors in front
of an over-flowing crowd of 1,200 at Canyon High School Saturday evening in
Anaheim, Calif.

The U.S. Women, which head to London next Friday for the Olympic Games that
start July 28, were playing their first home match since the Pan American Cup in
Miami and FIVB World Championship NORCECA Qualification Tournament in Orlando in
the summer of 2009. The USA-Bulgaria Challenge Series, co-hosted by the City of
Anaheim where the U.S. Women's and Men's National Teams train, continues on July
16 and July 18 with matches at the Galen Center on the University of Southern
California campus. Both matches start at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by
going to usctrojans.com/usa.

“It was nice to play in front of a home crowd for once,” Larson said. “I have
not played in front of a home crowd in the United States since college. And the
fans were great tonight – they definitely helped us in key moments of the
match.”

Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) led the Americans with 15 digs, while Larson
and Berg each added 10 digs.

U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon
(Christchurch, New Zealand) started Akinradewo and Harmotto at middle blocker,
Tom and Larson at outside hitter, Hooker at opposite and Berg at setter. Davis
was the libero for the match. Courtney Thompson (Kent, Wash.) started the final
three sets after being a double-sub with Haneef-Park in the first two sets. Tama
Miyashiro (Kaneohe, Hawaii) was a serving sub in three of the five sets, while
Hodge was a sub in the fourth set.

“It is amazing tonight,” Akinradewo said. “We typically play in front of
foreign fans rooting against us. So it was a great blessing to have people come
out to support us.”

Team USA out-blocked Bulgaria 13-8 and held a slim 8-7 ace advantage. The
Americans converted 42 percent of its 150 attacks, while the Bulgarians
converted 40 percent. The U.S. hit 53 percent (10-0-19) in the fifth set. In the
three sets it won, the U.S. converted 52 percent of its attacks into points.

As a first-time Olympian, Akinradewo is taking hype of the Olympics in
stride.

“I am taking it all in one day at a time,” Akinradewo said. “As Hugh has told
us many times, it is just another tournament with a lot of extra fluff. We have
a great core group of players over the last four years, and if we focus on what
we have learned during that time, we should do well.”

Bulgaria was led by Elitsa Vasileva’s 21 points from her opposite position,
while captain Strashmira Filipova added 19 points from her middle blocker
spot.